Community lecture revisits Jarrow March
Released: Thursday 21st June 2012 at 10:00
More than 76 years after one of the most famous events in the North East’s history took place, the public this month will get to learn the facts behind the symbolic Jarrow March.
Local historian Matt Perry will be giving a talk on Wednesday, June 27, at 2.30pm on the events that took place in October 1936, as 200 unemployed people walked from Jarrow to Westminster in London in protest against the unemployment and extreme poverty in the North East.
This is the third in a series of seven lectures at the University of Sunderland that will take place. The lectures are free to attend and are held at the Prospect building, Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s.
Unfortunately there are no surviving members of the March but Matt will tell the tales of the history behind the Jarrow March, what it meant to the people and why the decision was taken to take the 300 mile journey on foot. The local MP Ellen Wilkinson also joined the members of the public to London and became known as “Red Ellen”.
The March itself took place to tell and show the government that they were responsible citizens but there were many difficulties in the region. The town had 70 per cent unemployment and the men were demanding that a steel works be built to bring back jobs to their town, as Palmer's shipyard in Jarrow had been closed down the previous year.
Although it did not succeed, it is likely to never be forgotten in the region. At the time the government gave each member just £1 to get the train back from London to Jarrow.
After Matt’s talk there are still four lectures still to go this summer, featuring a variety of topics and will all take place on the University’s Sir Tom Cowie Campus on the banks of the River Wear.
June 27 – Matt Perry – The Jarrow March
July 18 – Sid Slawther – Umpiring at Wimbledon
August 1 – John Cannon – The Monarchy Revisited
August 15 – Laura Sole – Golden Age of Northumbria
September 5 – Dr Rebecca Williams Dinsdale – Resilience and dealing with adversity
The lectures start at 2:30pm and last about one hour, please arrive at the Prospect Building between 2pm and 2:30pm to register before the lecture begins.
There is (Pay) parking in the grounds of the campus and St Peter’s Metro Station is within a few minutes walking distance.
